Forgot to file tax return?

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bensonchou

Registered Users (C)
All,
I need your advise. Basically, while reviewing my tax filing record, I am not 100% sure that I filed the tax return for the year 2003.

This is because I use Taxcut software to file the taxes and for some reasons, I wasn't able to find the Taxcut file for year 2003 on my harddrive.

In March, April of 2004, I was in the middle of a job transition and I am not 100% sure whether I remembered to file the taxes.

I am sure that I don't owe IRS money and is eligible for a refund. Let's say if I did forget to file the tax return for year 2003 and I contact IRS to file the tax return now, what is the impact for N-400 application process?

Thank you in advance for your help,
 
If you dont owe money. There is NO penelty. After all IRS gets to use your money interest free.
IRS doesnt care about your immigration status. Just call them and ask. Just tell them you thought you filed but due to software glitch may be it never went thru or whatever other excuse.
They will take your phone number and will call you back after few days with information and guide you as to how to proceed.

Besides in US there is always waiver for first time mistakes. just have to say please. Never been late on credit card payment?
 
You can ALWAYS call IRS over the phone (1-800-829-1040) to check your tax-records. They will let you know within a second whether or not you filed a tax return for a certain year.

If you did not file tax return for a certain period wherein you were required to file it, then IRS won’t do anything to you except asking you to file it now. You can always file late return, but then you will have to be ready to pay all the late fees, interests and penalties. That is all.

As far as INS is concerned, then INS won’t approve your N-400 if they will find out that you failed to file tax return for the period wherein you were REQUIRED to file the returns. They will ask you during the interview about the correctness/truthness of all the information provided on N-400. If you lie, then you will risk loosing your citizenship in the future.

Most of times adjudication officers don’t deny a case if someone failed to file the required tax return, but they don’t approve either. Instead the case will be continued. They will give some time to the applicant to do the right thing in order to make a favorable decision. However, it is strongly advisable to file the required tax return or pay the owed taxes before going to interview, or have some kind of payment arrangement with IRS about owed taxes. Take all the correspondences with IRS to your interview to show to adjudication officer about having made an agreeable arrangement on owed taxes. Then officer would approve the case.

Good Luck.
 
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